After 365 days at sea, a fair share of choppy waters, and a 50th anniversary on the horizon, Florida Sea Grant is taking a moment to look astern at the tides of progress, partnership, and innovation that defined 2025. From strengthening shoreline resilience and cultivating sustainable seafood in the local community to amplifying coastal science, this past year showcased the many ways Florida Sea Grant continues to navigate toward a healthier, more resilient coast.
All Hands Deck for Navigating Bivalve–Seagrass Restoration
Charting a new course through unfamiliar waters can be both daunting and exhilarating, that is exactly what the Florida Bivalve and Seagrass Restoration Consortium is doing. This new partnership between Florida Sea Grant and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection tackled a growing challenge: declining estuarine and seagrass health across the state. By bringing together academic and agency researchers, resource managers, industry practitioners, and environmental NGOs, the consortium is steering restoration efforts toward a shared destination where bivalve and seagrass restoration work hand-in-hand to improve water quality and strengthen coastal ecosystems. The team is developing a common set of experimental procedures and evaluation methods to inform practices and guide future projects across Florida’s estuaries.
Hoisting the Next Generation Marine and Coastal Stewards
To help fill critical gaps in the marine and coastal workforce, Florida Sea Grant is providing training and mentorship in place-based research, extension, education, and communication that honors and integrates local knowledge.
This year Florida Sea Grant welcomed both a Community Engaged Intern and a Plastic-Free Cities Orlando Sea Grant Fellow. University of Florida undergraduate student Ella Armbruster, supported the Eyes on Seagrass program in the Indian River Lagoon region, conducting seagrass surveys, creating educational materials, and helping mobilize community science volunteers. Florida Sea Grant also welcomed a Plastic-Free Cities Orlando Sea Grant Fellow. In this role, the fellow received training in activating local communities to reduce plastic use, gathered data on plastic consumption from neighborhood businesses, and provided recommendations to help those businesses operate more sustainably using tools developed by Debris Free Oceans and the City of Orlando.
Sea (Science) Shanties
A traditional sailor’s remedy for the monotony of life at sea was shanties and the telling of nautical tales. While today’s listeners may be spared the yo-ho-ho’s, Marine Science Minute fills a similar role, bringing curiosity and connection to everyday routines during commutes, kitchen chores, and coffee breaks. These one-minute public radio spots explore a wide range of topics, from mangroves and horseshoe crabs to safe boating practices, hurricane preparedness, and artificial reefs.
MSM primarily aired on WUFT FM in 2024, an NPR-affiliate radio station in the Gainesville-Ocala area. This year Marine Science Minute expanded its broadcast to Surf 97.3 FM radio, a local non-profit radio in Flagler County, NPR’s WFIT 89.5 FM in the Space Coast, and WZIG 104.1 FM, a local non-profit radio station in Pasco County.
This year, a total of 52 Marine Science Minute broadcasts aired on three radio station with 4,433 total plays, reaching over 2.3 million listeners
In April, Marine Science Minute received the 2025 Association of Natural Resources Extension Professionals (ANREP) award in Podcast and Radio, earning a Gold Level, which is the highest in its category. The award recognizes significant achievement within Extension professionals around the United States, and expands the use of high quality, innovative materials and programs by honoring the outstanding members and partners who developed them. Listen here: https://www.flseagrant.org/marine-science-minute-with-florida-sea-grant/
Capturing Flotsam and Jetsam
One man’s trash can lead to another man’s treasure! This year, the University of Florida Office of Sustainability honored Operation TRAP with its distinguished Champions for Change Award. Led by Dr. Laura Reynolds and Dr. Monica Wilson, the team was recognized for its commitment to reducing derelict fishing gear and protecting Florida’s waterways. Operation TRAP also earned 2nd place in the 2025 ANREP and FANREP Awards for Outreach and Promotional Marketing Materials, and was awarded funding for a UF Gulf Scholar. Operation TRAP has made an impressive impact across Cedar Key and Pasco County in 2025.
Additional installation of trash interception devices in 2025 totals 26 storm drain traps (10 in Cedar Key, 16 in Pasco County), 4 Watergoats, and 15 monofilament tubes.
With the total number of 93 volunteers and three undergraduate interns for 2025, these efforts have removed over 13,000 lbs of marine debris (2,614 lbs of marine debris from the Watergoats; 10,391 large pieces of debris from storm drain traps; and 11.48 lbs of fishing related debris from monofilament tubes)
Stewardship Starts at Shore
Each year, more than 130 million visitors make landfall in Florida to experience its iconic beaches, rolling dunes, sea oats, and sea turtle tracks at sunrise. With increasing foot traffic, stewardship matters more than ever.
To help protect these fragile coastal ecosystems, Florida Sea Grant launched Florida Friendly Visitor (FFV), a new educational program promoting responsible beachgoing and sustainable coastal travel. We’re partnering with Innisfree Hotels, whose 27 properties across the Southeast will feature FFV videos in their lobbies—meeting visitors right where they are and empowering them to leave only low-impact footprints behind.
Fishtank Care for when the Storm’s-a-Brewin’
When the power goes out, your fishy friends need more than luck to stay safe. Power outages affect temperature, oxygen levels, and other water quality measures. Florida Sea Grant sat down with Dr. Roy Yanong, Veterinarian and UF/IFAS Professor of Fish Health and Aquaculture, to get expert tips on best management for your aquarium during outages, especially during Florida’s storm season. Check the blog and infographic FSG made in partnership with UF/IFAS.
A Feast on the Half Shell at FSG’s Oyster Roast
Food tells stories and here at FSG, we wanted our community to know the story behind Florida’s beloved farm-raised oysters. In October, we hosted our first-ever Oyster Roast with partners from Nature Coast Biological Station. With over a thousand Florida-grown oysters, guests spent an afternoon at First Magnitude raising a toast and slurping to the state’s growing aquaculture industry, while interacting with educational talks and some hands-on shucking.
Sustainably Scavenging for Scallops
Feast yer heart out…responsibly. This scalloping season, Florida Sea Grant helped distribute scallop sorters across the state, with the effort even charting a course into Georgia waters. Fashioned from recycled fishing gear, scallop-shaped, and buoyant enough to stay afloat when seas get lively, these sorters made impressive use this scalloping season.
- Florida Sea Grant distributeda a total of 2,500 sorters statewide and across the state of Georgia, expanding it’s reach further than any other year
- Sorters were used during 118 trips during the 2025 recreational scalloping season
- Additional 151 anglers used scallop sorter tools on their vessel during the 2025 season
“It’s amazing that something a group of us pieced together with spare materials we had lying around has evolved into a tool used across the region,” said Brittany Hall-Scharf.
Mapping Shoreline Resilience through New FSG Book
Florida’s newest coastal resilience guide made its debut this year: Living Shorelines for Florida: A Practical Guide for Building Coastal Resilience. Authored by FSG UF/IFAS Extension Agents Savanna Barry and Vincent Encomio, alongside Marjorie Shropshire and Ginny Stribolt, this peer-reviewed book offers Floridians a clear roadmap for using nature-based solutions to stabilize shorelines and support healthy habitats. The beautifully illustrated guide is already becoming an essential resource for homeowners, practitioners, and policymakers statewide.
“There is so much information on living shorelines, but it has not really been compiled in one accessible guide yet. We envisioned something homeowners and contractors could both use, leading to them speaking the same language regarding living shorelines,” says Vincent Encomio.
Customers interested in ordering can visit https://floridapress.org/9781683405504/living-shorelines-for-florida/.